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CNN Live Saturday

New Orleans Election Too Close to Call; New Headache Medicine Effective in Treating Migraines

Aired May 20, 2006 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Racing against the clock. Ahead this hour, preparing New Orleans for the next hurricane.

Also, fight or die? Children forced into military training. It's a story you'll only see right here on CNN.

And the old saying, take two Aspirin and call me in the morning doesn't always apply. Ahead, how to know if your headaches are something much more serious.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY, I'm Brianna Keilar, all that and more, after this check of the headlines.

It's election day in New Orleans. Crescent City voters deciding a mayoral runoff between incumbent Ray Nagin and Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu. A live upstate from The Big Easy is just ahead.

And in Southeast Kentucky, five miners are dead after an explosion in a coal mine. Federal mine officials say one worker survived the blast just after midnight.

And officials of the Federal Air Marshall's Service downplay a Congressional draft report that concludes policies may undermine agency safety, namely an agency dress code that makes agents more recognizable to terrorists.

And it's quite a show in the skies above the nation's capital. Check this out. Thousands are watching the annual air show at Andrew's air Force Base. The Blue Angels are actually wrapping up today's performance.

Who will rebuild New Orleans? More than eight months now since Hurricane Katrina, the devastated city is voting today for mayor. Incumbent Ray Nagin, now the face of New Orleans, career politician Mitch Landrieu, his father once mayor, is running as a unity candidate. The race for the city's future, very, very tight, and leading off for us is CNN's Susan Roesgen.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at one of the super-voting sites. Before Katrina there were different 265 places to vote in this city, and now we've only got 76. This is one of the big ones and they've combined several different neighborhood precincts in this one place, so you've got neighbor after neighbor meeting each other, and it's sort of like a reunion for some folks here that haven't been able to see each other because they haven't been able to come back to the damaged homes.

I've also seen some people here Brianna who are wearing t-shirts that on the back that say we're back. They are from Houston, four busloads, 60 people on each bus, have come in from Houston to vote in this election. It's a very close race. A friend of mine said, you'd have to either be psychic or crazy to bet on this race. As you mentioned, Mayor Ray Nagin versus his challenger Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, most people expect it to be a neck-and-neck vote.

Of the 22,000 businesses in this city before Katrina, only about 2,000 have reopened, 80 percent of the city was flooded. And so many people are not yet back in their homes. So people have to make a choice, whether they want to stick with the guy that they've got, who says that he is more tested now and will do a better job in the next crisis, or go with somebody new, the lieutenant governor who says the recovery in this city has been too slow and he plans to pick up the pace.

KEILAR: Thanks so much for that report.

And this has actually been a campaign that hasn't really been marked by mudslinging. Mitch Landrieu earlier saying he was happy about the civil nature of this. And we actually have some new video that has just come in of Mayor Ray Nagin and the incumbent, and Mitch Landrieu actually shaking hands at some sort of rally following the votes. Another bit of pomp and circumstance that kind of goes along with election day in New Orleans.

And stay with us CNN for complete coverage of the New Orleans' mayor's race, we'll have live updates throughout the day and final election results as they come in.

President Bush pushing his immigration proposal this weekend. The president wants National Guard troops and more border patrol agents. He also wants improved fences, infrared cameras and other advanced surveillance on the border with Mexico. The most divisive part of the president's plan would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. He defended that today in his weekly radio address.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some people think any proposal short of mass deportation is amnesty. I disagree. There's a rational middle ground between automatic citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation. Illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay, should have to pay a meaningful penalty, pay their taxes, learn English, and work in a job for a number of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And take a look now at this video. Yep, that is an airplane underwater. Obviously where it should not be. The fate of those on board and how an unlikely passerby came to the rescue, we'll have that story in seven minutes. And a medical mystery as great as the common cold, we're talking headaches with Dr. Bill. He's going to tell you why the dulling pain could be a sign of something more serious.

And at 4:50, why U.S. Customs agents grabbed this pimped out White Mercedes today.

Iraq has finally done it. As of today, the strife-torn nation has a unity government based on the votes of its people. Don't expect, though, the brutal war to end overnight. In fact, there was a horrible mass killing just today. But having Iraqis finally take full charge is the lynchpin of America's exit strategy. From Baghdad, CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a moment for Iraq's history books. The country's prime minister, before parliament, unveiling Iraq's first permanent government since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Formed by hopeful politicians like Hussein Shahristani, who under Saddam, never even dreamed that they would one day become members of a democratically elected government in Iraq.

HUSSEIN SHAHRISTANI, IRAQI OIL MINISTER: I spent more than 11 years in solitary confinement at Abu Ghraib prison, and in those days, no I was not expecting that one day I'll be called upon by my people to serve as the minister of oil. But I have sacrificed along with many other Iraqis, and I'm committed to help these people to remedy all the injustices that have been inflicted on them.

CHILCOTE (voice-over): After a small number of politicians walked out in protest, the government was approved by a solid majority.

(on camera): The reality, though, is that this government can't even begin to address Iraq's largest problem, the violence, until the government agrees on who will head up the police and military for the next four years.

(voice-over): For now, the interior, national security, and defense ministries, in charge of Iraq's security forces, will be led by officials on a temporary basis.

Across town, in a Shiite neighborhood, a reminder of the challenge ahead. Roadside bomb killing at least 22 civilians, wounding 58 more. Iraq's president has said that nearly 1,100 Iraqis were killed last month in sectarian fighting. The politicians here are playing down any expectations that Iraq will be able to handle its own security anytime soon.

HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: We have a major security challenge for the government, for the existence of this country. And for our friends also. So I don't anticipate an immediate solution or quick fixes for the security problems. CHILCOTE: A problem, now in the hands of Iraq's new permanent government. Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Time now to go global with headlines from around the world. Security is at a premium in Afghanistan. Renewed fighting today between Taliban extremists and coalition forces have left at least 34 dead including one American soldier. Afghan Army officials say they have captured senior Taliban commanders.

And in Gaza City an Israeli airstrike kills four people, one whom is described as Islamic Jihad's most senior militant. The Israeli Defense Force confirms it was targeting Muhammad Al Daktuk (ph). Palestinian sources say Al Daktuk was indeed killed in the attack.

And China celebrates a massive engineering milestone today, the completion of the three gorges dam wall across the flood prone Yangtze River. It's the larger hydroelectric project in the world. The $25 billion undertaking should be fully operational by 2009.

In the U.S., they aren't old enough to drive, but in Chad, children as young as 13 are forced to fight. A closer look at child soldiers. A story you'll see only here on CNN.

Also, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is sleeping on the job for us. He'll tell you what dreams are made of.

And, next, the latest controversy at Cannes. You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

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KEILAR: There's more rain ahead for the East Coast, and that's not good news for parts of New England, still reeling from flooding earlier this week. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency says flooding there damaged thousands of homes in 44 communities.

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KEILAR: News across America, now, just below the surface of Puget Sound, you can see the outline of a vintage 1946 airplane. It went down yesterday while the pilot was trying to land. One of two people on board was towed to safety by a kayaker as you see here. The other swam ashore.

And the Celebrity cruise skipper is getting the boot for allegedly drinking before work. He was removed from his boat yesterday at a dock in Washington State. Coast Guard officials say the captain failed a routine breathalyzer check. A relief captain took the helm for the cruise to Alaska.

And we go now to some live pictures. There you have it, the Blue Angels, they are part of the Defense Department's air show going on at Andrews Air Force Base today, along with the Navy's Elite Pilots. The Army's Golden Knight parachute unit and the 82nd Airborne performed feats of daring do and massive jumps today. Amazing. Look at that. I can't believe how they fly so closely together.

Another festive venue across the Atlantic Ocean is the scene of big controversy today. A movie has been pulled out of the competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The reason? Would you believe it's just too sexy. Our Brooke Anderson has the latest.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: A bit of controversy here at the 59th Cannes Film Festival and this doesn't involve "The Da Vinci Code," if you can imagine that. Instead one of the films up for the prestigious Palm D'or, a Chinese film, called "Summer Palace," was actually submitted to the festival before it passed China's censors.

The movie contains at least eight sex scenes. Chinese authorities have pulled it from contention and pulled it from the festival and now movie makers have flown to Beijing to plead with authorities to change their minds. We're going to keep you updated on that.

"Fast Food Nation" also up for the Palm D'or. It's the story of the dark side of the American fast food industry including working conditions for illegal immigrants. I spoke with stars Greg Kinnear and Wilmer Valderrama star about these pressing real life issues that film addresses.

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GREG KINNEAR, ACTOR "FAST FOOD NATION": I was down in the slaughterhouses and that's probably the most, you know, it's a pretty tough environment when you get around the animals themselves and, you know, you just aren't usually that connected with the thing that ends up in your little brown box. It was -- it would be impossible, really, to do the movie without kind of exposing the audience to kind of the underbelly of how this all begins. And it ain't pretty.

WILMER VALDERRAMA, ACTOR "FAST FOOD NATION": Hopefully this film, you know, kind of triggers the awareness of what some of the illegal immigrants really, really do for a living, and to see how everyone works and how they get their stuff done and what they have to go through for about 16 hours out of the day just to make a few dollars to feed their families. That to me, it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles and the cast of "Dream Girls" are here in Cannes. They gave a sneak peak of their film last night, showed about 15 minutes of the movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEYONCE KNOWLES, ACTRESS "DREAM GIRLS": It's a classic film. It's something that everyone is going to love, and you walk out of the film feeling like anything is possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON: That film opens in December. Now, many stars are expected to make their way here to Cannes over the course of the festival, including Oliver Stone, Kirsten Dunst and Halle Berry. Reporting from the 59th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, I'm Brooke Anderson.

KEILAR: They cost U.S. employers $13 billion a year in lost productivity and for stuffers they can be debilitating. They are migraines and Dr. Bill is here to tell us their triggers.

Do you wonder why you dream certain things? Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores us how the brain decides what to dream about every night. That story in six minutes.

But, first, this programming note. The best political team on television is joining up with the king of talk for the inside stories on everything from the Hayden hearings to the CIA leak investigation to the immigration battle and more. All that live, Monday night at 9:00 eastern. We'll be right back.

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KEILAR: When is a headache something more? Could that pain in the head be a symptom of some greater problem? Let's bring in Dr. Bill Lloyd to answer those questions and some others now. Dr. Bill, I know that you say there are three main types of headaches. Can you just break them down to us so we know what they are?

DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIV. OF CAL-DAVIS MED. CTR.: Sure. Everybody gets a headache now and then, and we can usually categorize those headaches into one of three groups. The most common are tension headaches. They tend to involve the entire head. Sometimes it feels like you've got a tight band running around your head, and it can extend down the neck and you can feel sore in shoulders. Usually analgesics will take care of a tension headache.

Migraine headaches are less common, but far more painful. Women get migraine headaches three times more often and they are usually situated to one side of the head at the time. In addition, people with migraines can visual disturbances and nausea and sensitivity to light. Good news, there are special medications that can help people with migraines.

And the final common category are cluster headaches. Men get cluster headaches more often than women, and it's situated around the eye. It feels like there is pressure squeezing on the eyeball. The eye itself may turn red and you can have a runny nose. There are medications that can also help people who have cluster headaches. And everything else is called a secondary headache and that's when you have pain because of sinus problems or perhaps something serious in your brain like an infection or a tumor.

KEILAR: So the big question here is when is it go bad you don't pop a Tylenol or an Advil, that you should be going to the doctor about this? LLOYD: There's very straightforward warning signs when a headache is something more than a headache. When there's extreme pain. Medical students are taught whenever you see a patient that complains this is the worst headache I've ever had, get scared.

If a headache is accompanied by a fever or perhaps a stiff neck, that could mean a serious infection like meningitis. If there's any kind of history of loss of consciousness or previous head trauma, got to go see the doctor. If you notice any weakness or numbness in your hands or extremities or any change in your vision while you are having a headache, go find yourself a qualified doctor.

KEILAR: You mentioned, Dr. Bill, migraines and that women sort of suffer disproportionately from them, but 16 percent of adults, statistics show, get migraines. There are new drugs and they are they really effective or is it a promise?

LLOYD: No, these are wonderful drugs. They come under the category of triptans. And I mentioned earlier that people with migraines sometimes are nauseous, so they might have trouble swallowing medicine. Good news, triptans also come in a nasal spray, and they even come in the form of a self-injectable syringe so you can give yourself immediate relief.

Here's the trick, when you are using the triptans, you have to start the medication, it's a prescription drug, you have to start it the moment you get your earliest symptoms. We call it an aura. It might not be a headache. It may be nausea or flashing lights but people with migraines know their migraines very well, and when they feel the aura coming on, that's the time to start taking the triptans and 90 percent of them will have total relief of the migraine within four hours with the use of the powerful drugs.

KEILAR: Who would have thought the day would come that you could snort your headache medicine. Thanks for joining us.

And a headache can certainly impact how well you sleep, but what about your dreams? A new study looks at how we form dreams, and our Senior Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta grabs his PJs in his medical checkup on sleep.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What's in a dream? A memory, a movie, a solution, a picture?

ROBERT STICKGOLD, BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER: The dreaming process is a process of memory integration, where different memories are brought together; and how well they fit or don't fit, is examined by the brain.

GUPTA: Bob Stickgold is a biochemist and a dream researcher at Harvard's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dreams, he says, are efforts to fit memories together.

While most of our dreams occur in the REM phase of sleep, about 25 percent of our dreams occur in non-REM sleep, just after you drift off. And it's in this hypnogotic stage of sleep where Stickgold's current study is attempting to determine how the brain forms dreams...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Start the clock.

GUPTA: ... with the help of a video game. I spend three 45- minute sessions on this virtual alpine skier, navigating through winding courses and obstacles.

That night, they wire me up with electrodes around my head, including a specially wired bandanna to measure my brain waves during various stages of sleep.

Each time I doze off into the first stages of sleep, a computer wakes me up and asks me to give dream reports.

(on camera): And then there were some fields that looked like wheat, and I was sort of flying over the fields.

STICKGOLD: So here's one of those places where you see all the problems of dreams, because I can turn to you and say, Sanjay, wheat fields?

GUPTA: So were those wheat fields I was flying over really ski slopes? Who is to say, but Stickgold says 85 percent of the study subjects report at least once that they were skiing.

STICKGOLD: The whole point of this research is to help us figure out what the brain uses as its rules for constructing dreams.

GUPTA: Research that is still up for interpretation. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Be sure to catch Dr. Gupta's one hour special "Sleep" right here on CNN.

Leading New Orleans post-Katrina, what the winner of today's mayoral election will need to do first to get the Big Easy back on its feet. I'll ask CNN's political analyst and New Orleans resident Donna Brazill next.

And unfriendly skies, why it's heating up to be a miserable summer for air travel.

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